CHICAGO—Each New Year is ushered in with celebrations, toasts, and diet ads to encourage weight loss resolutions, but U.S. consumers today prefer living healthier lifestyles as opposed to restricting their habits with dieting. Consumers define their own diets by putting more focus on the authenticity and purity of the foods they eat, according to NPD's recently released Eating Patterns in America, an annual compilation of ongoing food and beverage consumption research.

BOSTON – Cosi Inc. (NASDAQ:COSI) reported same-restaurant sales for its 32 fast-casual franchises was down 5.5 percent in the second quarter of 2015. However, its company-owned stores rose 2.1 percent in same-restaurant sales for the quarter.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Golden Corral appointed Lance Trenary as its president and chief executive officer effective January 1. Trenary replaced CEO Ted Fowler, who retired at the end of 2014 and had held the top position with the company since 1989.

Key to a restaurant's profits is its revenue per square foot, with the goal being to increase revenue while keeping square footage at an efficient, rather than unnecessarily bloated — and expensive — level.